The Witchboard is getting a fresh jolt of star power as Stranger Things alum Jamie Campbell Bower steps into the lead for a remake of the 1986 horror classic, according to Collider. This new take revisits the chilling premise with a modern lens, aiming to revive the eerie atmosphere that made the original a cult favorite among fans of supernatural thrillers.
The story follows Emily and Christian, an engaged couple who decide to relocate to New Orleans to open a small cafe in a long-forgotten, creaking house. Their plan to start anew is met with curiosity and unease as Emily discovers an ancient Ouija board tucked away in a forgotten corner of the property. The board’s glossy surface seems to pulse with a quiet, unsettling energy that pulls Emily tighter into its orbit. As the couple grows fond of their new home, Christian becomes increasingly wary of his fiancée’s fixation, sensing a fog of moodiness and fascination that he cannot shake off. His concern drives him to seek guidance from a mysterious occultist named Alexander Babist, a character portrayed as both enigmatic and dangerous, whose presence hints at a greater threat looming over Emily’s curiosity.
What unfolds is a cascade of mystical disturbances that smear the line between folklore and reality. A contemporary network of relic-wielding covens emerges, tapping into long-buried powers and drawing the practical world into a shadowy, spellbound space. The narrative introduces the ancient sorcerer known as Naga Soth, a figure steeped in myth and menace, whose influence threads through the plot with a weight that makes every scene feel charged. Amid the rising tension, a masquerade ball becomes a pivotal setting, a place where identities blur and danger wears a glamorous mask, amplifying the film’s sense of paranoia and revelation.
Directing duties for the remake fall to Chuck Russell, a filmmaker with a track record that includes The Mask, which paired a wildly different energy with Jim Carrey, and The Eraser, featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Russell’s involvement signals an approach that blends classic suspense with sharper, contemporary pacing. The project aims to honor the eerie core of the original while inviting a new generation of viewers to encounter a story built around mood, atmosphere, and the chilling tug of the unknown. The remake positions itself as more than a mere retelling; it seeks to reimagine the dread that comes from facing a force beyond ordinary comprehension and to reintroduce audiences to the unsettling ritual of exploring what lies across the boundary between the living and the unseen.